How to Make Your WiFi Faster | Umi Digital

23 January 2018, 14:10 UTC

By: Luke Bishop

The phrase “Have you got WiFi?” has grown into one of the most popular phrases on the planet and is understandable in most corners of the globe. However, life is not always rosy, and we may occasionally be left offline, without any connection and in an overall devastating scenario, usually leaving us feeling completely bereft, whether on holiday or at home (humour the poetic license please).

This was the case last week where after a long day of work I decided to sit down with some of my favourite snacks (insert brand deal here) to binge watch an episode of my favourite on-demand online show based on a well-known streaming service (insert second brand deal). However, I instead spent my evening eating snacks to an ever-revolving and insufferable buffering logo down to my poor WiFi being unable to cope. This caused me to spend hours researching and discovering different methods proven to make your WiFi signal stronger, which had me re-positioning my router 6ft in the air and giving it a lone appearance of a homemade “Pimp my Router” show by wrapping it in aluminium foil, which sadly seemed to have no effect.

Please find below a list I have put together outlining some simple but effective methods to help you boost your WiFi signal!

Top & Easy Tips for making your WiFi signal stronger:

A Central Location for Your Router

Although this may seem a simple solution, the simple act of moving your router out of a corner, or out from behind the TV to a more open location will see huge improvements in your routers signal reach and coverage. The best place to position your router would be in the most central location in the house instead of one odd end as well as ensuring the router is not located directly near a wall or large object as solid surfaces have been proven to slow down WiFi speeds.

Position of Router Antennas

Although this may seem pointless and unnecessary a routers antennas and their position can cause noticeable differences in signal strength. The router can come in with two types of antennas, either internal or external, if your router has two external antennas the most effective position to get the strongest connection is to position the antennas perpendicular to each other. This should boost signal strength and hopefully will allow you to increase your bandwidth.

However, if you have one singular antenna, it is more of a guessing game to ensure the best signal strength, by positioning the antennas in different angles until the ultimate strength of the signal is found. However, in some rare cases, some routers have no antennas attached whatsoever, meaning some routers may just need a “USB antenna” to be attached to the router.

Interfering Appliances

Other electronic appliances around your house or apartment (especially other routers) can be a huge drain to your internet performance, even microwaves! Perhaps ensuring that all un-used internet devices are turned off or are taken off the WiFi in order to free up bandwidth, which in turn should speed up your internet connectivity.

Invest in a “WiFi Booster”

The simple act of purchasing a WiFi booster from the internet can have huge affects on WiFi speed and performance. The WiFi boosters job is to (you guessed it) to boost your WiFi speed across your house, perfect for rooms blocked out by large walls. The overall aim of a WiFi booster is to increase wireless signals which in turn increases Internet speed.

Invest in a “WiFi Extender or Repeater”

One of the most popular ways to increase WiFi speeds is to purchase a WiFi Extender or Repeater from your local electrical store or online store. A WiFi extenders job includes detecting your original WiFi connection and re-broadcasting it from a new location. These “WiFi Extenders” are powered by your standard 13A 2 x plug meaning they can be positioned in most areas of your house.

Update Your Router’s Firmware

It is a common mistake that many people commit when it comes to maintaining their router performance over the years. There are multiple ways to update your router, either internally where you alter your routers settings internally (via a visual menu) and ensure the latest update is installed. Users can also visit the router manufacturers website directly, where updates can be completed via a standard browser.